Passive Microwave Repeaters: The Unsung Heroes of Telecommunications
2025-08-17
Post-WWII, microwave communications boomed, but line-of-sight limitations hampered its reach. This article tells the story of the Kreitzberg brothers and their invention: the passive microwave repeater. This power-free device, using reflectors to boost signals, solved communication challenges in mountainous and complex terrains. Widely adopted in the 1960s and 70s, especially in the American West, these repeaters enabled communication networks in remote areas. Now largely obsolete due to fiber optics and satellites, their ingenious design and historical significance remain noteworthy.